Weatherizing Water

Hurricane (turned Superstorm, turned painful lesson) Sandy underscores some of the basic challenges in the ever-swirling world of water, weather, and climate change. Through it all, water managers must find practical ways to cope with evolving conditions and increasing energy costs, while politicians and policy makers mud wrestle over climate causation, carbon taxes, and cap and trade strategies. Water-related impacts here and now (and tomorrow) range from drought-ravaged crops, early snow melt, storm water runoff and sea level rise to saltwater intrusion, ocean acidification, temperature-induced fish kills, and wicked winds and storms. These changes are happening; science researchers and policy makers need to pay attention and respond.

Below are some of the most obvious principles to keep in mind as carbon politics and global warming skirmishes churn the waters.

1. Weather and climate are not the same. According to NASA, the difference is a measure of time. Weather tells us about conditions over a short period of time, and climate explains how the atmosphere “behaves” over relatively long periods of time, typically 30 years. The smartest managers seize on weather patterns and trends beyond daily and seasonal conditions to position their communities and organizations the best they can with the resources they have.

2. Not all change is bad; climate adjustments can have winners as well as losers. In this case, though, many of the losses add up to significant societal costs. Vegetation, whether native or invasive, will travel and bloom in different places on different schedules. Saltwater intrusion threatens coastal cities and the aquifers on which they depend. Warmer waters and drier forests can mean greater risks to fish, wildlife and people, and higher costs to downstream water utilities. On the other hand (as economists are known to say), some chilly but warming climates might see reduced heating costs and longer beach seasons for revenue-generating tourists.

3. What you don’t know can hurt you. Water managers, agricultural and energy producers, manufacturers—they are all watching water and virtual water more closely, which can make or break a business—whether the business is crops, widgets or copper mines. Research on impacts and trends to local watersheds, including the downscaling of information, is needed badly. The science of “ecosystem services” and the practice of water footprinting, which are gaining steam, may look like fads to some but are exactly what is needed. Here’s one of many promising steps to coordinate climate/water research at the federal level, with input from nonfederal interests: the Water Resources Adaptation to Climate Change Workgroup of the Advisory Committee on Water Information, administered by USGS. It has a large contingent of nonfederal advisors to help the federal water agencies (such as EPA, Army, Commerce, and USDA) focus on the science of water adaptation.

4. Energy efficiency and water efficiency go hand in hand, as do their economic and environmental benefits. Climate change skeptics, who can pose good questions to shape better policies, should not have a problem with utilities, corporations and cities saving money and deferring, or even avoiding, more expensive infrastructure investments through water and energy conservation and efficiency. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy-Water Nexus Principles underscore the value of integrating drops and watts work. The Alliance for Water Efficiency, is doing great work to understand the nexus and enlighten policies and practices for both water and energy.

5. An ounce of climate adaptation is worth a pound of disaster response. This is the core argument for smart growth and sustainable, resilient infrastructure. Building out of harm’s way and siting beyond the fray translates into more affordable investments and insurable risks. Conserving and restoring wetlands, wildlife refuges, and barrier islands will add important, life-saving layers of protection. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and Departments of Interior, Commerce and Agriculture, as well as the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA, all should look for ways to provide federal science and support for local- and state-based decisions that advance climate readiness.

7. Green infrastructure and resource recovery will help communities adapt. There are many shades of green and definitions of recovery. Each area needs to consider what works best and how innovative infrastructure and resource management strategies, from bioswales to biogas recovery, can make the most sense.

One of the most important opportunities, after every major wind event, is to assess the damage to trees and then to re-plant wisely. Sandy, like Katrina, leveled hundreds of thousands of trees, almost 10,000 in New York City alone. Smart growth and smart planting go hand-in-hand so it will be important for planners and planters to coordinate with powerline people and other infrastructure representatives to choose the right types of trees, places for planting, and plans for peaceful coexistence and maintenance, whether above or below ground. The U.S. Water Alliance has described the barriers and gateways to green infrastructure; and other organizations, from the White House Council on Environmental Quality to American Rivers to the Water Environment Federation to NACWA, are doing great work to advance the greening process and the paradigm shift from waste discharger to energy generator.

The bottom line is that every community and utility should consider weather and climate in its water planning and management and adapt as appropriate. Perth, Australia, is one of my favorite examples. It has launched a program to cope with serious drought and water supply challenges: “Water forever, whatever the weather.” I am not sure I like the catchy slogan, but I appreciate its focus on reusing wastewater, recharging aquifers, reclaiming ocean water through desalination and reducing water waste with efficiency—all in an effort to adapt, survive and become “drought proof” by 2022.